By Teresa Zacchaeus
Predatory fish in a Berlin bathing lake? Of course not. But the Mitte district office wants to attract attention with the unusual posters.
So that people in the landscape protection area no longer go into the lake without permission, but only visit the Plötzensee outdoor pool on the opposite side, which is subject to a fee. Environment Councilor Almut Neumann (Greens): “The shark alarm should also make you smile, but mainly make you think.”
Sabine R. (56), employee at the Fischerpinte boat rental: “The posters are terrible. You won’t stop people from bathing. At the weekend everything was full again. The police and public order office look around, but do nothing” Photo: Ralf Gunther
But does the action do anything at all? The large, bright yellow posters with the QR code are now hanging on the green fences along the bank. And yellow shark fin dummies sticking out of the water.
Last hot weekend it was very busy in the Rehberge Park – and many climbed over the fence again to cool down. The shark posters were hardly noticed, let alone a QR code scanned. And pressed the dummy fins under water.
Andreas Welker (65), pensioner from Mitte: “I’m committed to nature conservation, so I’m in favor of the bathing ban. You have to give nature its space. The posters only left me with a grin. I don’t think they make a difference” Photo: Ralf Gunther
For City Councilor Neumann, the campaign is still important: “If people ignore the ban on entry, climb over the fence and swim on the unpaved shore, they endanger – no matter how careful they are – the shore with its animals and plants and thus the ecological balance of the lake. “
Consequence: The water quality of the lake is getting worse and the lake is tipping over. “Then at some point nobody will be able to swim there anymore. We want to prevent that.”
Farina R. (30), doctor from Mitte: “I didn’t understand exactly what the poster was supposed to tell me. I therefore find that it is not an effective means of discouraging people from bathing.” Photo: Ralf Gunther
Many park visitors don’t seem to be interested in this, and several posters were even completely destroyed. Neumann admits: “Yes, the level of destruction shocked us. We have filed criminal charges for vandalism and are putting up new posters. In addition, we carry out on-site inspections with the forces of the public order office to stop further vandalism.”
Another solution could be: At the urging of the environmental councilor, a two-hour ticket for two euros was introduced for the Plötzensee outdoor pool. So that there is a greater incentive to swim legally.
